Secretary-General Zulu and Zambian Delegation In Peking

Secretary-General of the United National Independence Party of Zambia Alexander Grey Zulu and Madame Zulu and the Zambian Goodwill Delegation led by the Secretary-General arrived in Peking on September 12 for a visit to China. They were welcomed at Peking Airport by Vice-Premier Li Hsien-nien and thousands of the capital's inhabitants. Chu The, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, met Secretary-General Zulu and the other distinguished Zambian guests on September 13. Vice-Premier Li Hsien-nien gave a banquet that evening to welcome the visitors. Vice-Premier Li and Secretary-General Zulu addressed the banquet which was filled with warm expressions of China-Zambia friendship. The Vice-Premier praised the Zambian people, under the leadership of President Kaunda, for having achieved marked successes in the struggle to safeguard national independence and state sovereignty and develop the national economy and culture. He noted that in international affairs the Zambian Government has consistently pursued a policy of peace, neutrality and non-alignment and made useful contributions to the united struggle of the third world countries and peoples against imperialism. Referring to the current situation in Africa, the Vice-Premier said: The great African people are constantly strengthening their solidarity and advancing from victory to victory in the common struggle against imperialism, colonialism, racism, Zionism and big-power hegemonism. In the non-independent territories, the peoples struggle for national liberation is developing in depth daily. The regimes of the handful of while racists entrenched in southern Africa are beleaguered and have been thrown into a very difficult position. Of course, the road of struggle is never smooth. Numerous historical facts have proved that all reactionary forces on the verge of extinction invariably conduct desperate .struggles. While stepping up armed repression, they resort to intrigues of political deception and a great variety of counter-revolutionary dual tactics. The revolutionary people must sharpen their vigilance in face of these harsh realities and use revolutionary dual tactics to wage a tit-for-tat struggle against them. The Vice-Premier continued: At present, the situation in Angola has attracted people's attention. At the crucial moment of imminent independence for Angola, the superpower which claims to be the "natural ally"' of African national-liberation movements, for ulterior purposes, is doing its utmost to sow discord among the three Angolan liberation organizations that are recognized by the Organization of African Unity, and undermine Angola's national unity. It has even been brazenly introducing large quantities of arms into Angola to provoke a fratricidal civil war in Angola. This bare-faced interference, which has seriously disrupted the process of the Angolan people's independence, is denounced by all people who uphold justice. The Chinese Government and people have all along firmly supported the Angolan people in their struggle for national independence. To the three Angolan liberation organizations which were born in the armed struggle against the Portuguese colonial rule, we have always given even-handed friendly treatment and rendered support and assistance in their struggle to the best of our ability. We consistently hold and sincerely hope that those organizations, .setting store by the overall national interests, will resolve their differences through peaceful consultations, get united in the common fight against the enemy and work together for the realization of Angola's national independence on schedule. In conclusion, Vice-Premier Li said that both China and Zambia arc developing countries belonging to the third world and that through the joint efforts of the two governments and peoples, the two countries militant friendship has grown stronger and steadily developed. In his speech, Secretary-General Zulu said: During the dark days of our struggle for independence, the People's Republic of China generously gave us support which, together with the assistance we received from other friendly countries, enabled us to weather the storm of colonial oppression and to attain independence. He went on: After the unilateral declaration of independence in Rhodesia, our main trade route to the sea was cut, and our economy seemed destined for disaster. We decided that the best proposition in the circumstances was to have another railway line built to the east coast through Tanzania. For the Zambian people, the railway line was a matter of life and death. Thanks to the great and friendly Chinese people, our supplications for assistance in this matter were heard and the project quickly undertaken. Today, the railway line is an accomplished fact, and rebel Ian Smith and his henchmen are still biting their fingers with remorse and regret for their foolish and shortsighted policies of holding us to ransom when our exports and imports used to transit Rhodesia. The Secretary-General said: The Tazara Railway Line will be an artery supplying a continuous flow of fresh blood for the economic growth of the two provinces of Zambia through which it passes. This is an extremely important chapter that is being written not only in the history of Zambia but also of the other surrounding countries. Central Africa will never be the same again, and we would like to pay tribute to the Government and people of China for the wonderful work they have done for us. The Secretary-General warmly hailed Zambian-Chinese friendship. He said: Our two countries and peoples are separated by thousands of kilometres of land and sea. but the political and economic ties that join us are firm and close. Both countries arc members of the developing third world, bound by their common struggle against exploitation by developed countries and against imperialism, colonialism and neo-colonialism. Vice-Premier Li Hsien-nien held talks with Secretary-General Zulu. Secretary-General Zulu gave a reciprocal banquet on September 16. In his toast, he warmly praised the impressive victories of the peoples of the third world in the struggle against imperialism, colonialism and neocolonialism. He said: Imperialism and colonialism die hard, and we still have a long way to go before the international community is rid of these evils. Speaking on the African situation, the Secretary-General said: A number of African countries over the last year or so have joined our ranks in the Organization of African Unity, the non-aligned movement and the United Nations as independent and sovereign states. However, the war against imperialism and colonialism in southern Africa is far from won. Speaking on the Angolan situation, he said: "We know that the people of Angola want independence; we know that they want peace and that they want to develop their mineral-rich country. But they have not been left free to determine their own destiny. There is too much interference from outside. The big powers are at their sadistic imperialistic game again. They have sown the seeds of discord amongst the Angolan people, and now they are happily fishing in troubled waters, as innocent blood is being shed. "It is our view that, left alone, the leaders of the three liberation movements would quickly and quietly sort out their differences." He pointed out: "One superpower especially has of late been pumping a lot of arms and ammunition into Angola to perpetuate civil strife there. Indeed, it is tragic that this superpower is supplying deadly weapons like armoured cars and Sam missiles to one of the liberation movements which it never supplied during the 15 long years of the Angolan people's struggle against Portuguese colonialism. It is, in our view, this interference in the Angolan situation that has made reconciliation between the liberation movements impossible." "We sincerely hope that our Angolan brothers and sisters will quickly come round to the realization that they are being manipulated by outside forces to their own detriment, and therefore they should mend their fences. The African revolution must continue, and we know it will, whether the imperialists like it or not," he said. The Secretary-General continued: "Apart from rendering financial, material and other forms of assistance to liberation movements, Zambia has striven tooth and nail to implement, to the letter, the Lusaka Manifesto on southern Africa." Vice-Premier Li Hsien-nien said in his toast: Through the joint efforts of the two sides, the friendly relations and co-operation between China and Zambia will grow-stronger and develop continuously. "Both China and Africa belong to the third world. The struggle carried on by the great African people against imperialism, colonialism, hegemonism, Zionism and white racism constitutes a great support and encouragement to the Chinese people. We are glad to note that the Azanian, Zimbabwean and Namibian peoples are carrying on in an ever more deep-going way various forms of struggle, aimed struggle included. We wish that the great. African people get united and strive to win greater victories," Vice-Premier Li said.